We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Svitlana Yurchak. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Svitlana below.

Svitlana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I’ve truly found myself in art and creativity!
I’ve never had a regular job, but when I started pole dancing, I was studying at medical university, certain I would become a doctor. To be honest, my present and future seemed dull and gray.
When pole dancing entered my life, it brought color into everything. And when I decided not to go into an internship after university and dedicate myself fully to pole dance, the grayness completely vanished.
Being an artist and creator is harder than doing a regular job because you almost never have a clear plan or guidelines. You have to learn so much about entrepreneurship and take risks. But I believe all of these challenges are outweighed by the fact that there are no limits! You can monetize your creativity in so many ways. For example, I earn through pole dance workshops, online courses, and clothing, and I’m building several projects where I can express myself as both a creator and entrepreneur, while earning from them!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started my journey in pole dance at 21, without any athletic or dance background. I’ve come a long way from a beginner to a pro, starting as an adult, so I truly understand what adults feel and the challenges they face when starting pole dance and I know how to help in overcoming these challenges. I turned my weaknesses into my brightest strengths—my weak ankles inspired me to create an entirely new style in exotic pole dance. I sparked a revolution in the exotic pole dance world with my heelless shoes and my small butt inspired me to design my legendary cheekless bottoms, which grew into a clothing brand loved and worn by dancers worldwide! I am a living example that, without any prior background, you can not only become a professional dancer, but also an innovator and an inspirator.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

A major pivot point in my career came with the 2019-2020 quarantine. Since 2016, I had been actively traveling with workshops and performances, and the quarantine meant change in every aspect of my life and work. I realized it was time to improve my English and start creating online products.

The second such challenging period came with the start of the war in my home country, Ukraine, in 2022. I had to pause my brand’s operations and later relaunch it from a different country, deciding to embrace a remote business model, learning to delegate most of the tasks I once did myself, and take my brand to the next level

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Omg, I must be a champion at attracting criticism!

First, people doubted my heelless heels and cheekless bottoms. Even some of my creative colleagues criticized my Legwork style! Today, cheekless bottoms, heelless shoes, and flexible ankles are pretty common in the pole dance world, but back then, they were seen as way too wild. Now, I’m stepping into a new phase of life—motherhood. And who would’ve thought that a pregnant woman dancing or a mom bringing her baby to training could spark so much controversy?

People who aren’t creatives often struggle to understand why certain things trigger them. I’ve come to see that my art acts as a mirror—reflecting the mindset of the viewer. Some see a straddle as a display of strength and flexibility, while others see it as merely spreading legs for male attention. Some view cutouts on glutes as a unique costume element, while others see them as wholes on the butt, designed to attract the male gaze. In the end, we all perceive what aligns with our own thoughts and beliefs. And if person recognizes this, they can actually use it as a tool for personal growth instead of wasting their energy on hating people they barely know and their time on hateful comments to someones art even if they don’t understand it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://taplink.cc/svitlana_yurchak
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/svitlana_yurchak?igsh=MWN4Mml4YmMxdTI2eQ==
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@svitlana_yurchak?si=bTKwCeiXcIKxDSil

Image Credits

These photos were taken by different photographers, so I will mention them in same order as their works:

1. Elena Razumova
2. Vadim Marti
3. David Tufino
4. Jay Crempa
5. Jay Crempa
6. Olga Zalizovska
7. Steven Vandervelden
8. Olga Zalizovska